The throne hall was silent except for the echo of cracking stone beneath the King's aura.Every soldier trembled. Even the walls seemed to bow beneath his weight.
But I stood.And I looked him in the eye.
"You call me parasite," I said, voice sharp but calm. "But what is a king who hides behind his title if not the same? Feeding on fear. On loyalty he never earned. On the blood of those who bow too low to resist."
The words cut. I felt it. The ripple of anger through his chest. The faint spark of doubt through Lala's heart.
"Watch your tongue," Gid growled, eyes glowing. "You're nothing but a whisper in my daughter's shadow."
I smiled. "Yet you fear me enough to raise an army. Enough to kidnap her friend. Enough to shout, when I haven't raised my voice."
The silence cracked. Guards exchanged glances. Sephie's eyes flickered—approval, maybe, or curiosity.
And that was the first victory.A wound not of flesh, but of pride.
Then Gid stepped forward. His power surged like a tidal wave. "Fine. If words won't silence you—power will."
The floor exploded under his step, and in an instant he was in front of me. A fist like a hammer swung down—
—and I caught it.
Shock rippled through the chamber. My form trembled under the sheer force, cracks of pain lacing my arms. The system screamed:
[ADAPTIVE RESPONSE ENGAGED][Firewall: Overclocking → 72%][Warning: Damage threshold approaching critical]
I gritted my teeth, pushing back, forcing the king's knuckles to grind against my palm.
"Is that all?" I hissed.
His grin widened. "No. That's the beginning."
His knee slammed into my ribs, sending me skidding across the marble floor, shattering pillars in my path. Pain burned through me, but I forced myself to rise. Each ache was fuel. Each strike was evolution.
Lala screamed my name. Haruna's heart was pounding through the Hivemind. Sephie stayed silent, watching.
And Gid… laughed.
Good. Let him laugh.
Because this wasn't just a battle of strength.It was a battle of will.And mine was unbreakable.